THE SPONGE BAY UPHEAVAL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1931, Page 4

THE SPONGE BAY UPHEAVAL

PHENOMENA EASILY EXPLAINEB OILFIELDS GEOLOGISTS VIEWS. By Telegraph—Press Association. - Gisborne, Last Night. NeW light was thrown to-day. on the Sponge Bay upheaval near Gisborne,where the foreshore has been raised from eight to 10 feet. The is a rather lonely one, seldom Visited tscept by picnickers. ' For some years, however, Mr. S. W. S. Strong, geologist to Taranaki oilfields, has made periodical visits. He stated tb-day that he looked upon the small geysers or springe as a safety valve and considered these and similar ones in Poverty Bay may have beneficially affected Gisborne during the big earthquake on Tuesday Regarding tree stumps being heaved up from the depths of the, ocean bed through the earthquake, Mr. Strong said that could not be correct, for he had seen tree stumps in the same place on the day previous to the earthquake, and four months ago had taken photon of them and written a paper on the subject. The trees had probably been there for hundreds of years. They probably grew on land near the sea, Which gradually eroded and fell into the sea. The recent earthquake niay have pushed them up a bit further, but even oh that point he was not satisfied. '. The only great change Mr. strong could see as the result of the upheaval was the appearance of a neW boulder bank' near the shore. z ;■